Tomato Sauce Two Ways

In our house, there is a great debate over what makes a good tomato sauce. My boyfriend prefers a sauce that has a lot of texture due to vegetables and cooks for awhile, making the sauce a sweet and giving it a thick consistency. I like more of a marinara style sauce, that only has onions (sometimes), large chunks of tomatoes, and has a slightly acidic taste due to not cooking the sauce for as long. Due our differences, and the fact that I wanted to convince him a bit that my preference was the best, I decided to make two sauces. We served them with the Italian Meatballs I made this past weekend. Both were very good (still like mine a bit better), however, one was much more simple to make than the other.

The first sauce recipe below took a good portion of the day to cook. I have to say, I felt quite Italian doing this. I imagined myself as an old Italian woman, preparing Sunday dinner for her family of 30. I'm gonna be as up front and honest with you as I can about this sauce. It isn't the recipe to make if you are short on time, want instant results or think that the more you stir it, watch it, or turn the heat up, the faster it will cook...that will not happen. What will happen is A. your sauce will taste like a pot full of different flavors and very acidic B. you will have a sore arm from stirring so much or C. you will burn the sauce and no one is going to eat burnt sauce. If you don't think you have the time, about 5 hours, or the patients, skip on down to the second recipe. Like I said before, both are great recipes that are sure to please, how much time you have and what result you want will be the deciding factors.

Tomato Sauce Two Way


Hearty and Slow Cooked Version

• 2 28 oz. can of canned tomatoes; San Marzano if you can find them, they will make all the difference
• 1 12 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stick of celery, diced
• 1 stick unsalted butter, divided in 2 tbs and 6 tbs
• 2 tbs salt
• 1 tbs black pepper

1. Heat olive oil and 2 tbs of butter in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Do not brown them.
3. Add celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until carrots are softened, but not falling apart.
4. Add canned tomatoes, with juice, can of crusted tomatoes, butter, salt and pepper. 
5. Cook on medium to medium high until small bubbles appear and pop.
6. Cover and turn down to a simmer, and cook for 4 to 5 hours, stirring periodically and tasting, adding salt and pepper as needed. 

Tomato Heavy, Marinara Style, Quick Sauce

(Picture coming soon, sorry!)

• 1 28oz cans of tomatoes; San Marzano if you can find them, they will make all the difference
• 1 large onion, cut into two large pieces
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tbs salt
• 1/2 tbs black pepper
• 1/2 garlic powder

1.  In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, add the tomatoes, onion, and butter.
2. Cook until small bubbles appear and pop.
3. Cover and turn down to a simmer and cook for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring occasionally to break down large pieces of tomato.
4. Remove onion, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Cook for 15 minutes, test, and season accordingly.